Roller bearings for supporting steering shafts within a steering column assembly are well known. Many existing such bearings include an inner race, an outer race, a plurality of roller elements positioned within a cage therebetween, and a thrust cone that serves to connect the steering shaft to the roller bearing, which is in turn press-fit within the column tube of the assembly. Often, the thrust cones in these bearings also serve to help insure both the inner race and outer race remain secured, such as with clips, to the bearing's cage by exerting an outward force on the inner race, thereby unitizing the components of the bearing assembly for both shipping and assembly purposes. However, it is not uncommon for these bearings to become disassembled during shipping and assembly due to insufficient outward radial force being exerted by the thrust cone.
The present invention recognizes and addresses considerations of prior art constructions and methods.